Gerakan has urged the police to increase vigilance and maintenance of public order in view of Chinese New Year festival and the spate of petty crimes, especially snatch thefts and burglaries.

Gerakan’s head of central bureau on environment, safety and quality of life, Dr Cheah Soon Hai, said more surveillance and patrols in crime-prone areas as well as in housing estates and presence of policemen in banking areas would help a lot.

“While police should intensify efforts to curb crime, the people should also take precautionary safety measures and be careful with their personal belongings,” he said in a statement.

Dr Cheah recalled that Deputy Home Minister Jelaing Mersat’s had in May said a joint committee would be set up to come up with a plan to fight snatch thieves and Mat Rempit.

“Gerakan would like to know the progress of this committee, who are the members, and whether the plan has been formulated?” 

Dr Cheah, who is also Derga State Assemblyman, also reiterated Gerakan’s call to the government to use the Penal Code to impose a harsher punishment against snatch thieves.

He said the government’s decision to charge snatch thieves with robbery which carries a heavier punishment was a good step.

“We hope the snatch thieves will be punished severely, especially when their victims are seriously injured,” he said. 

Newspapers reported yesterday that an 18-year-old girl has been in a coma since Tuesday, a day after she fell and injured her head in a snatch theft in Salak South, Kuala Lumpur.

Chong Chooi Yoon was on a motorcycle ridden by her father returning to their Taman Salak Selatan home when the incident happened.